Writing machine



Dec. 17, 1935. I TE 2,024,622

WRITING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR flmezv 547155 ATTORNEY Dec. 17, 1935. H. BATES WRITING MACHINE Filed April 25. 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 17, 1935. H. BATES 2,024,622

WRITING MACHINE Fild April 25, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lNVENTOR flame Y 5/97 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES.

warrme MACHINE Harry Bates, New York, N. Y.,' assignor to Bates Laboratories, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 25, 1934, Serial No. 722,248

11 Claims.

This invention relates to writing machines in general and more especially to so-called shorthand writing machines of the typeknown as phonetic typewriters, stenotypes, stenographs and the like.

Among the objects of the presentinvention, it is aimed to provide an improved writing machine-especially adapted for shorthand writing and the like in which lost -motion is reduced to a minimum not only in the interest of simplifying theconstruction and therefore the cost of construction but also in the interest of noiseless operation.

It is still another object of he present invention to provide an improve writing machine especially adapted for shorthand writing and the like which dispenses with an inking ribbon and associated parts, relying upon an inking roller which will cooperate with the type to effect inking preparatory to each printing impression.

It is still another object of the present invention I to provide an improved writing machine especially adapted for shorthand writing and the like in which the key bar and type bar constitute an integral unit.

It is still another object or the present invention to provide an improved type bar integral with the key bar for use with a writing machine and the like.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved type bar action comprising a unitary typev bar and key bar formed to cooperate with an inking roller preparatory to a printing impression and cooperate with a cam to eflect a printing impression.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide animproved writing machine especially adapted for shorthand writing and the like hinged to a case having a compartment below the machine parts for a supply of paper,v

merely raising the machine parts about its hinge.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved writing machine especially adapted for shorthand writing and the like.in association with a case having a hinged cover adapted to swing to the rear of the platen and equipped with a paper support to facilitate supporting the strip -of paper as it is printed in position to be readily inspected by the operator for the purpose, as an instance, of reading back the matter previously printed.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the invention will appear from the subjoined detail description of specific embodi- 5 ments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view partly broken away of a writing machine made according to the present invention in position in its case;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental section showing the type in printing position;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is'a section on therline 5-5 of Fig. 2; 15 and r Fig. 6 is a fragmental detail of another embodiment of the platen rotating mechanism. I For the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, there is provided a case I preferably having a base 2, a short front wall 3, a rear wall 4 preferably of greater altitudethan the wall3 and two inclined side walls 5. i

The case I preferably has hingedly connected at 6 a cover I which in closed position corresponds to the dash Fig. 2.

The writing machine proper consists essentially of a frame 9 preferably hinged at its upper front edge III to the upper inner face of the wall 3. The frame 9 preferably .has a downwardly extending support ll consisting in .the present instance of a plate which rests on the base 2 to cooperate with the hinge III to maintain the frame 9 in writing position. The frame 9preferably consists of a unitary wall member having a short front wall l2, side walls l3 and-l4 and a transversely extending cover plate IS: The supporting wall ll may also .form an integral part of the frame 9 connecting the side walls I3 and I4. For supporting the machine parts, the side walls l3 and M in the present. instance'have connected to them the crossbar l6 and rods l1 and H3. The crossbar I6 is preferably disposed adjacent the lower ends of the side walls l3 and I4 and about half way between the front I wall l2 and supporting wall ll.

The rod iii in the present instance constitutes a shaft being journaled 'not only in the side walls l3 and l4-but also in the bearings 22 and 23' eitending upwardly from the crossbar l6 adjacent the inner faces of the side walls l3 and 14.

To this shaft"! in the present instance is fixed and dot line 8 shown in the cylinder the lever 24 and the arm 25. The front end of the lever 24 and of the arm 25 have secured adjacent their lower ends the crosspiece 26.

The rear end of the lever 24 is pivotally connected by the link 21 to the projection 28 extending forwardly from the lower end of the disc 29 rotatably supported on the rod 20.

On the rod 20, there is also rotatably mounted 30 to which is secured the platen' 3|. The left hand end of the cylinder 30 in the present instance has fixed thereto a chambered collar 32 in which is disposed the notched disc portion 33 of the disc 29. The disc portion 33 in the present instance has three spirally extending notches 34 each to receive a ball 35 and a spring 36 urging the ball outwardly from the cylinder of each notch 34 normally into frictional engagement with the inner face of the collar 32. The rearwardly extending arm 31 of the lever 24 is preferably connected by the spring 38 to the abutment 39 formed on the plate 40- connected to the lower face of the crossbar l6.

From the foregoing, it will appear that when the crosspiece 26 is depressed, the lever 24 will actuate the link 21 in turn to actuate the disc 29 to cause the balls- 35 to engage the inner face of the collar 32 and thereby advance the platen 3| a line space and that the return movement of the lever 24 by the spring 38 will return the disc 29 when the balls 35 will depress the springs 36 in turn sufficiently to clear the inner face of the collar 32 without rotating the platen 3|.

The crosspiece 26 is limited in its upward movement by engaging the lower faces of the key bar arms 4| and 42. The key bar arms 4| constitute an integral part of the type bar arms 43 all pivotally mounted on the rod H which is journaled in the side walls l3 and I4 adjacent the front end of the wall l5 inside of the rear face of the depending portion 44 of the wall l5. Each key bar arm 4| is integral with a type bar arm 43 to form a single lever 45.

Each lever 45 has formed at the rear end of a key bar arm 43 an upwardly extending type supporting arm 46 to the rear upper-face of which there are provided two type formations 41 and 48. Each lever 45 intermediate its arm portions 43 and 46 is provided with an enlarged opening 49 preferably circular as shown in Fig. 2.

The levers 45 are preferably composed of steel, the resiliency of which is sufficient to permit the arm portions 46 to yield relative to the arm portion 43 in the narrow ,connecting area 56.

This resilient area 5|! is deliberately formed to facilitate causing the type formations 41 and 48 to be pressed into printing position on the paper or like material 5| mounted on the platen 3|.

The arm portion M of each lever 45 is substantially U-shaped having a key or finger engaging cap 52 on the upper free end of the same. The depending portion 44 of the plate l5 preferably has secured to its inner face a pad 53 composed of some suitable resilient substance, such as rubber or the like to serve as a cushion or bumper to receive the front edges 54 of the arms 4|. For maintainingthe levers 45 in normally retracted position against the cushion 53, there is provided the slitted spring plate 55 secured at its lower end to the front face of the crossbar |6,

the slits being formed to produce a number of spring fingers 56 corresponding to the number of levers 45 with each spring finger 56 engaging a rear edge 51 of an arm 4|.

In the present instance extending downwardly from the upper wa1l |5, there are provided the two castings 66 and 6|. Extending transversely on the bracket 65 the short guiding wall 61 beneath which the paper 5| extends after leaving the roller 66 and then passes over the upper edge of the rear wall 4 of thecasing In the present instance and as forming an important part of the present invention, a cover 1 is provided with the bearing brackets 68 and 69 for frictionally securing the longitudinal, limb 18 of a rectangular shaped supporting bracket 1|. This supporting bracket 1| may be moved into descended position, the dash and dot line position of Fig. 2, when it will engage with the inner face of the cover 1, or it may be moved into raised position, the full line position of Fig. 2, when it will engage the short wall 6 of the cover 1. The raised position of course will only take place when the cover 1 is open. In this position, the paper after passing the lower edge of the wall 61 will extend over the upper edge of the horizontally extending limb 12 of the bracket 1|, as shown in Fig. 2. This bracket 1| will facilitate reading back any of the immediately preceding dictated matter without requiring engagement of the paper by the hands of the operator.

, For maintaining the roller 66 in frictional engagement with the paper 5|, the lower ends of the bracket 65 are provided with abutments 13 which are connected by springs 14 with abutments 15 on the downwardly extending arms 16 of the side walls 60, 6|. 7

The paper 5| is preferably mounted in a supply chamber and is preferably formed, see Fig. 2, into a fan folded package between the walls 3 and H resting on the base 2 and disposed below the plate 40. The plate 40 is preferably curved upwardly at its front and rear ends 11 and 18 and particularly at its rear end 18 to form a mouth with the wall II to permit the paper to pass upwardly around the outer face of the curved end 18 of the plate 48 to and over the spring finger 19 mounted on the rod 62 and then onto the platen 3|. The spring finger 19, see Fig. 2 extends across the lower end of the platen 3| to yieldably maintain the paper in engagement with the platen 3|, 7 Y

The rod 62 and shafts l9 and/28 are preferably mounted at their ends in the side walls 60 and 6|. The arm portion 42 similar to the arm portions 4| is provided with a finger engaging cap 86. The arm portion 42 however, see particularly Fig. 1, is adapted merely to rotate the platen a line space without effecting a printing impression. This arm portion 42 therefore is not integral with a rearwardly extending type arm portion but terminates on the shaft l1. The lower face of the arm portion 42 however alines with the lower faces of the arm portions .4| to engage the crosspiece 26 so that the dethe practice heretofore 7 followed, the present machine isalso equipped with twenty-four keys vor finger engaging caps,

twenty-three caps 52 and one cap 88. Also in accordance with the practice heretofore fol-- lowed, the two caps 52 at the extreme-left hand end of the keyboard are connected to a single key element 4|. All the other caps 52 are connected to an individual key'arm 4| and the key 88 is also connected to its individual arm 42.

In dotted lines, the characters corresponding to the caps 52 are marked on the caps 52. It is of course understood that in the machines extensively in use today, there are no character markings on the keys or caps 52. The cap 88 as aforesaid is not connected to print any character and therefore has no character marking on the same.

The type 48 formed on the arm 46 consists of the following:

STPHfFPLTDSKWR RBGSSAOEU The type 41 consists of the following characters:

1234 '6789D1KWR RBGSS5OEU For effecting the printing of the type 48, the ordinary depression of a key 52 will cause the shoulder 8| to engage the inclined face 82 of the crossbar 83 which is provided with the dependingportions 84 and 85 disposed to slide vertically adjacent to the inner facesof the walls 68 and 6|. The crossbar 83 is maintained in its lower position for effecting an impression of a type 48 by the spring arms 86 and 81 connected to the projections 88 and 89 respectively secured to the inner faces of the upper ends of the side walls 68 and '6|. are provided with projections 98 and 9| to engage the upper face of the crossbar 83, see Fig. 4.

These spring arms86 and 81 have depending fingers 92 and 93 extending downwardly through the openings 94 in the crossbar 83, with the lower ends of the fingers 92 and 93 inclined toward one another to form cam faces to engage the upper ends of the arms 95 and 96. These arms 95 and 96 are provided with pins 91 which extend into the slots 98 formed in the depending portions 84 and 85 of the cross arm 83. The arms 95 and 96 extend forwardly and are pivotally mounted on the rod l1. and then extend downwardly into the portions 99 and then in the upwardly extending portions I88, finally connected to the finger engaging bar |8|. disposed adjacent to the front face of the downwardly extending wall 44 and to the rear of the caps 52 as part of the keyboard.

In order to return the bar 8| into raised position where the shoulders 98 and 9| engage the upper face of the crossbar 83 to effect printing of the type 48 as distinguished from the type 41, the springs I82 are provided, connecting the arms 95 and 96 with the rod l8.

When it is desired to efiect printing of a type 41, it is only necessary first to depress the bar |8| so that the arms 95 and 96 deflect the fingers 92 and 93 inwardly in turn to cause the shoulders 98 and 9| to clear the bar 83 and then permit the pins 91 to engage the upper end of the slots 98 .to raise the crossbar 83 so that its cam face 82 will not. be engaged until the type lever 45 actuated'rises a greater distance than that required for printing a type 48.

In Fig. 3, the bar |8| has been depressed to raise the cam face 82- into position to cooperate with the shoulder 8| of a type bar to effect printing of a type 41, whereas in Fig; 2, the dotted line position of the shoulder 82 indicates The spring arms 86 and 81- In the path of movement of the type 41 and 1 48, there is provided a printing roller I mounted on the shaft I85 journaled in the side walls 60 and 6|.

Thelower edge of the plate 61 preferably is serrated as shown in Fig. 2 to serve as a tearing 15 strip when it is desired to sever the used portion from the supply. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the

supply of paper 5| is preferably confined against lateral displacement by the partitions I81 and I88 connected to and extending up from the 2 base.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the projection 28 normally extends rearwardly from the lower end of the disc 29 so that upon depression of a key 52 or 88, the platen 3| is not rotated or advanced but on. the other hand upon the release of the crossbar 26, the spring 38 will return the lever 24 and then cause the friction balls 85 to engage the inner face" of the collar 32 to advance or rotate the platen 3|. 30

In other words, the feed of the platen, 3| with that embodiment will be effected after a printing impression instead of during a printing impression.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a writing machine, the combination with a plurality of combined key bars and type bars, each consisting of a pivotally mounted lever having two arms, a finger engaging key at the end of one arm and type formed at the end of 45 the other arm and a flexible portion intervening between the pivot and the type, of apl'aten for writing material, an inking roller in the path of movement of said type when actuated, and a cam cooperating with the type supporting arm 50 of said lever when the key supporting arm there-- of is depressed to flex said intervening portion and force the type into type impressing relation with the writing material on said platen.

2. In a writing machine, the combination with 55 a' plurality of type supporting levers, each lever consisting of a combined one-piece key bar and flexible type bar, of a platen for writing material, an inking devicein the path of the type on said levers when actuated, and a cam cooperating .with a part of said levers when actuated to press a part of the type bar portion thereof into typeimpressing relation with the writing material on said platen.

3. In a writing machine, the combination with 65 a plurality of type supporting levers, each lever consisting of a one-piece substantially rigid key supporting arm and a. flexible type supporting arm, .of a platen for writing material, an inking device in the path of the type on said levers 70 when actuated, and a cam cooperating with a part of said levers when actuated to flex a part of the type arm thereof into type impressing relation with the writing material on said platen.

4. In a writing machine, the combination with 75 4 v a plurality of type supporting levers, each lever consisting of a one-piece metal substantially rigid key supporting arm and a flexible type supporting arm, the type supporting arm consisting of two portions separated by a flexible portion, of a platen for writing material, an inking device in the path of the type on said levers when actuated, and a cam cooperating with a part of said levers when actuated to flex a part of the type arm thereof into type impressing relation ,with the writing material on said platen;

5. In a writing machine, the combination with a plurality of type supporting levers, each lever consisting of a one-piece metal substantially rigid key supporting arm and a flexible-type supporting arm, the type supporting arm consists ing of two portions separated by a weakened portion to facilitate flexure, of a platen for writing material, an inking device in the path of the type on said levers when actuated, and a cam cooperating with a part of said levers when actuated to flex a part of the type arm thereof into type impressing relation with the writing material on said platen.

6. In a writing machine, the combination with a plurality of type supporting levers, each lever consisting of a one-piece metal substantially rigid key supporting arm and a flexible type supporting arm, the type supporting arm consistingof two portions separated by a flexible portion, one of which portions has type on one side and a cam engaging face on the other side, of a platen for writing material, and a cam cooperating with the cam engaging face of an actuated lever to flex the type arm thereof into type impressing relation with the writing material on said platen.

'7. In a writing machine, the combination with a plurality of typesupporting levers, each lever consisting of a substantially rigid key supporting arm and a flexible type supporting arm, the type supporting arm consisting of two portions separated by a flexible portion, one of which portions has two type formations on one edge and a cam engaging face on the other edge, of a platen for writing material, a cam, and a shift device controlling the position of said cam to cooperate with the cam engaging face of a type supporting arm of an actuated lever to flex the type arm thereof into type impressing relation of either of the type formations with the writing 5 material on said platen.

8. A type supporting lever for a writing machine consisting of a key supporting arm and a flexible type supporting arm, the type supporting arm consisting of two portions separated by a flexible'portion, one of which portions has a type formation on one edge, and a cam engaging face on the other edge, the cam engaging face being adapted to cooperate with a cam to press the type formation into type impressing position by flexing said portion.

9. In a writing machine, the combination with a plurality of type supporting levers, each lever consisting of a one-piece substantially rigid key supporting arm and a flexible type supporting 20 arm, of a platen for writing material, and a .cam cooperating with said levers when actuated to flex the typearrn thereof'into type impressing relation with the writing material on said platen.

10. In a writing machine, the combination with a support for writing material, of a plurality of type supporting levers, each lever consisting of a one-piece substantially rigid key supporting arm and a flexible type supporting arm, and a device for cooperating with said levers when actuated to deflect the type supporting arms thereof into type impressing relation with the writing material on said platen.

11. In a writing machine, the combination 35 with a support for writing material, of a' plurality of one-piece type supporting levers, each lever consisting of a key supporting arm and a type supporting arm including an intervening flexible portion, and a device for cooperating with a part of said levers when actuated'to flex said flexible portions in turn to actuatethe type supporting arms into type impressing relation with the writing material on said platen.

HARRY BATES. 

